08/27, 11:25pm

Extended warranty available for both iPhones and iPads

A leaked internal memo seems to reveal that Costco's in-store wireless kiosks may begin offering AppleCare+ on iPhones and iPads beginning on Thursday, August 28. The offer applies only to devices activated at the kiosk rather than iPhones or iPads that may be offered on the main sales floor. Costco resumed selling iTunes gift cards after a nearly four-year dispute with Apple ended in early June; iPhone and iPad sales were resumed just before the end of that month.

12/13, 7:11am

Report claims Pantry launch in 2014 with 2,000-item inventory

Amazon could be going after customers that buy groceries from warehouse clubs and wholesale retailers, according to a report. The online retailer is apparently planning to launch Pantry, a service that will offer the same packaged grocery items typically found in Costco and Sam's Club, such as cleaning supplies and canned goods.

12/13, 2:25pm

Costco getting Galaxy Nexus on December 15?

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is coming to Costco as part of a $289 bundle on December 15, according to twodiscoveries. The price found by Droid-Life and Engadget includes a leather pouch, car charger and screen protector, and undercuts the price of an accessory-free device at Verizon by $10 on the same two-year contract length. At the same time, a Verizon leak reinforced the expected official price of $299, though no release dates were mentioned.

11/05, 1:30pm

Costco and Best Buy hint Nexus, Nook futures

Two retailers gave clues as to future plans for Android hardware on Saturday. A leak from Costco has put the Verizon edition of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus at a $290 price on a contract. The Android Central tip isn't concrete but suggests Costco will have a $10 discount off of Verizon's very common $300 price for new LTE-capable phones, like its Nexus model.

08/30, 4:35pm

New Canadian store opening Saturday

Apple ranks 34th in the US in terms of retail revenue, according to a Chain Store Age Magazine survey. During 2010 Apple managed $9.82 billion through its retail stream, allowing it to leapfrog out of 57th place. A separate analysis by RetailSails recently placed Apple first in the US in terms of sales per square foot.

08/26, 5:00pm

Package expected to cost $300, same as phone alone

Costco will be offering the Motorola Droid Bionic in a special package when the smartphone ships in September. Droid Forums has leaked promotional material showing an exclusive offer from the warehouse club. The deal includes the phone with normal accessories along with a docking station, a car navigation dock, an extra battery, and a battery dock.

08/24, 1:40pm

Beats out likes of Tiffany, Whole Foods

Apple is the top US retailer, at least in terms of sales per square foot, a RetailSails analysis indicates. The firm recently surveyed the last four quarters of over 160 retailers, and remarks that Apple's sales were about $5,626 per square foot, up 49.1 percent year-over-year. The figures are based on global results, not just those from US stores, RetailSails points out.

08/11, 1:20pm

Walmart, Target, Best Buy drop 3DS price early

Nintendo's significant price drop of its 3DS console that's scheduled to go live tomorrow is being pre-empted by some retailers. This includes retail Walmart and Target stores in the US, though the web pages for the portable games console do not yet reflect the change. In Canada, Best Buy and Costco have already dropped the price to $170 from $250, which is a 30 percent price drop.

06/16, 3:25pm

Online price still unchanged

Costco appears to have dropped the price of the Motorola Xoom. Its Wholesale Club stores are now selling the Xoom Wi-Fi packaged with a gel case for $500. Its price online, however, continues to be just slightly below the official price at $590.

03/16, 9:45am

Motorola confirms Xoom Wi-Fi due at 599 price

Motorola on Wednesday at last confirmed plans to launch the Xoom in a Wi-Fi version for the US. True to leaks, the non-3G tablet will ship to the US through Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Radio Shack, some Sam's Club stores, Staples and Walmart on March 27. Pricing will be dramatically lower and put it at $599 for a 32GB version.

01/28, 2:15pm

Atrix 4G to cost $150 at Costco, records at 720p

The Motorola Atrix 4G smartphone has been priced at Costco, thanks to a leaked image received by AndroidCentral. This will require a two-year contract at AT&T, however, and an earlier, brief Amazon listing mimicked the price tag. The price tag is relatively low, and combined with the 11.6-inch netbook dock that is also expected to cost $150 could lead to a combo costing $300.

12/09, 4:30pm

CFO says Apple banned online sales

Costco is ultimately phasing out all Apple products from its stores, the company's CFO has announced. Speaking during a financial conference call, Richard Galanti described the plan as a mutual agreement. The only cited reason is online sales; Galanti notes that Apple was forbidding Costco from selling products online, unlike other some other third-party vendors.

10/29, 1:00pm

Conflict over iPad expands

Bulk retailer Costco will drop sales of discounted iTunes cards as of this Saturday, a report claims. A source for iLounge remarks that while it's uncertain if the decision will affect all Costco outlets worldwide, it should impact all North American locations. The move is thought to be an extension of a continuing row with Apple over the iPad, which is absent from Costco stores but which Apple did allow at other big-box retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and Target.

11/05, 7:30pm

Adapter to replace current 802.11g model

Microsoft's 802.11n adapter for the Xbox 360 has surfaced in Costco's online store for a slightly discounted price of $88. The accessory previously popped up in GameStop's inventory slated for November 3rd, although the listing was later removed. Costco claims the adapter is scheduled for shipment a week later on November 10th.

11/03, 12:20pm

Consumer Reports marks electronics shops

Apple leads in brick-and-mortar retail stores but is no match for more universally oriented stores online, Consumer Reports says in its December issue (subscription needed for results). Of all major physical retailers, Apple scores the highest in a reader study. Although tied with Costco for an official 90-point score, it ranks highest through its perceived product quality, customer help and the ease of the buying process.

05/04, 4:00pm

ATT Acer 10in 3G Netbooks

AT&T is about to expand its netbook tie-ins to include the 10-inch Acer Aspire One, according to a leaked memo. A source passing on the note to BGR says that at least Costco will be selling a version of the portable with 3G ready to be used with AT&T's network. Other details are unclear, but the systems are likely to have some of their cost subsidized and also to sell at AT&T stores.

03/19, 9:50am

Electronics spending crash

American spending on electronics is about to take a sharp slide, suggests a study by ChangeWave Research. In a survey of over 4,400 Americans conducted between February 18th and the 25th, a full 33 percent said they would be spending less on electronics in the next 90 days, versus only 19 percent who said they would spend more. Although "spending less" responses tend to dominate in most months of the year except for the run-up to Christmas, the gap is now the largest it has been since 2002, a factor which may both reflect and harm an already damaged US economy.